


Maybe One Day

by GH_123



Series: Prompt Requests [2]
Category: Hollyoaks
Genre: F/M, M/M, Other, Prompt Fill, Tumblr Prompt, prompt request
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-24
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-12-06 21:57:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18225938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GH_123/pseuds/GH_123
Summary: Taken from the tumblr account jarryprompts. I’ve merged two together as I thought they seemed to fit quite nicely.Prompt -I'd so love to see Harry and James having to babysit for Harry's three younger siblings for whatever reason at James's flat. Harry suggesting that James assist in baking cupcakes with them all since they love baking (basically any excuse to see James back in his lil' apron) and James secretly wanting to die inside from all of the mess they end up making but putting up with it because he knows how much Harry's family mean to him & the evening ending with DeeDee fast asleep on James's lap.Prompt request: James and Harry discuss having children, one of them is super keen on the idea and the other really isn’t (don’t mind which way round it is). The one that isn’t totally on board, kind of gets convinced by the end.Hope you all enjoy!





	Maybe One Day

**Author's Note:**

> Taken from the tumblr account jarryprompts. I’ve merged two together as I thought they seemed to fit quite nicely. 
> 
>  
> 
> _Prompt -I'd so love to see Harry and James having to babysit for Harry's three younger siblings for whatever reason at James's flat. Harry suggesting that James assist in baking cupcakes with them all since they love baking (basically any excuse to see James back in his lil' apron) and James secretly wanting to die inside from all of the mess they end up making but putting up with it because he knows how much Harry's family mean to him & the evening ending with DeeDee fast asleep on James's lap._
> 
>  
> 
> _Prompt request: James and Harry discuss having children, one of them is super keen on the idea and the other really isn’t (don’t mind which way round it is). The one that isn’t totally on board, kind of gets convinced by the end._
> 
>  
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!

“What time are the kids getting here?” James asked. He had just returned from work, he was dealing with a case that resonated so much with him. When it first cropped up, despite knowing it would be hard work and mentally and emotionally exhausting, he didn’t have the heart to turn it down. 

All he wanted to do when he stepped through the door was sit down with a glass of wine and relax. It was luxury he was able to have most nights, but tonight was different. Tonight he and Harry were babysitters. James quite frankly had a long list of things he would rather be doing in his free time but he was doing this for Harry. It meant a lot to him so therefore it meant something to James. 

Harry had recently given his relationship with his dad another go which subsequently meant that he had restarted his relationship with his little brother and sister. James knew how important siblings were, he loved his to death and he knew Harry needed the chance to build a relationship with his. When Tony and Diane mentioned going out for their anniversary dinner, Harry was quick to offer to babysit in a bid to make up for lost time with Ant and Dee Dee.

“Should be here any minute” Harry replied, checking his watch for the time as he gave the place one last clean up. The place was always spotless and spectacular but Harry was meticulous when he knew his dad was coming over. He was always striving to impress. 

“What can we do for dinner?” James asked as he opened the fridge, looking for anything they could rustle up that would appeal to children.

“Already sorted. I’ve ordered pizza” he smiled. “And, as a little thank you, I have this waiting for you” Harry moved out of the way to reveal the bottle of red wine he had placed in the ice bucket. 

“You don’t have to say thank you” James was already pulling two glasses out of the cupboard for them both, placing them down on the kitchen surface. 

“I do. I know this really isn’t your thing but it means a lot that you’re trying” Harry stood up on his tiptoes and placed a kiss to James’ cheek as he poured his glass of wine. “Don’t go mad” Harry warned. “I can’t be dealing with three kids tonight” 

“It’s just one glass” James defended. 

Jut as James was about to place the glass to his lips, the doorbell rang. He could already hear the excited chatter from the children before they had stepped into his house. He rolled his eyes and took one long large sip of his drink. 

“Remember, they’re only six. Be nice” Harry told James as he walked towards the door.

“Aren’t I always” James smirked taking another sip of his wine, it was going to be a long night.

***

“What can we do now?” Dee Dee asked as she threw her pizza crust back in the box. It amazed James how much children so young had so much to say, it had taken them a whole hour to eat a few slices of pizza, simply because they would not stop talking. Dee Dee especially. She was loud and little off the wall, he liked her though, she had bags of personality. Ant was a little more subdued, maybe it was down to the environment or not knowing James all that well, he seemed quiet and a little shy.

“What do you mean, what now?” Harry laughed. “It’s nearly bed time” he told her. Dee Dee huffed and placed her elbows on the coffee table, they had placed the pizza boxes on there and all knelt round to eat, not quite the usual formalities James was accustomed to. 

“But, this is supposed to be a sleepover” she whined, her lips pouting and her eyes going wide as she looked up at her big brother. She knew exactly what she was doing. James couldn’t help but laugh at her, she was character that was for sure. 

“How about another hour?” James tried to reason, looking over at Harry to clarify that that was okay. It wasn’t like Harry enforced any authority and he was undermining him, he just couldn’t be dealing with the tantrum that he knew someone like Dee Dee was capable of throwing. 

“Okay, one hour and then bed” Harry told the two children who sat there looking like butter wouldn’t melt. 

“Surely the later they go to bed, the later they’ll wake up” James spoke quietly to Harry as he got up to clear away the pizza boxes. 

“Deal” Dee Dee nodded, as she outstretched her little hand for Harry to shake. Harry laughed and shook her hand. “Can I bake?” she asked jumping up to her feet. 

“Bake?” Harry asked. He looked down at his watch. “It’s 8 o clock” 

“Can I bake with you?” she turned to ask James as he returned to the table to tidy up. 

“With me” 

“Mmm” she nodded.

Harry could tell James was completely taken a back by how forward this little girl was and that she wanted to spend time with him over her brother, but he also knew that somewhere, deep down, even if it was only the tiniest part of him, he was slightly touched by Dee Dee’s show of favouritism. 

“You don’t have to” Harry whispered.

“No, it’s fine. What do you want to bake?” James asked. 

“Cupcakes” she squealed, jumping up and down. 

“What do you want to do?” Harry asked Ant who had sat there quietly throughout most of the meal.

“Can we play cars?” he asked, referring to the huge box of cars that he had brought round. It was his latest obsession. “With you though” he mumbled quietly, shuffling closer to his older brother. 

“Sure” he smiled pulling his little brother into his side and squeezing him tightly. “Are you going to be okay with Dee Dee?” he knew that James would be only be in the kitchen, just a few feet away, but he knew what he was like. The last thing Harry wanted was for him to feel uncomfortable in his own home.

“Yeah, we’ll be fine” he was casual, shrugging it off like it was nothing. “Won’t we?” he asked Dee Dee who reached up to take hold of his hand.

“Yep”

***

“Wait a minute. Not so much flour” James laughed, pretending to cough dramatically as Dee Dee took hold of the flour and started to pour into the mixture that they had already made. A large cloud of white powder filled the air that James tried to waft away. 

“What next? What next?” she asked excitedly jumping up and down on the little stool he had pulled over for her. 

“Careful, careful. You’ll fall off” James warned gently, as he moved around her. “Right, lets have a look” he found his phone that was sitting on the surface, the screen covered in a coat of white dust. He scrolled through the recipe that he had found upon Dee Dee’s earlier demands. “Okay, now we stir” he told her.

“With this” she asked holding up the wooden spoon. 

“Yeah, I guess” 

She pushed the spoon into the mixture and sloppily stirred the contents around, she was doing it all wrong, the mixture spilling over the sides of the bowl. Although the look of concentration on her face was incredibly cute, it took a lot for him not to take over and tell her what to do.

He stepped back and took a look at the scene before him, it was a scene he never thought he would see in his home. Children, baking, playing cars, the real family stuff. He wasn’t sure how he felt about it all. He watched Harry with Ant, he was a complete natural with him, it made him strangely all the more attractive to James. 

“I like being at your house” Dee Dee finally spoke after a while of stirring the mixture. “Can I come again?” 

“Yeah of course you can” he was hating to admit it to himself but this little girl was really warming his heart. Despite her confident personality, she was very sweet. 

“Even if Harry isn’t here?”

“Even If Harry isn’t here” James whispered, as if it was just their little secret. He was pretty sure that if he and Harry ever broke up he wouldn’t have anything to do with Dee Dee and Ant but he wasn’t going to say that to her. He had learnt his lesson from past relationships about the correct way you had to speak to kids. 

“Finished” she chirped, looking down at the mixture in the bowl, smiling proudly to herself. “Can we taste some?” 

“Not yet” he quickly managed to stop her from shoving the spoon into her mouth. “We need to put it into the cases first” he was slightly surprised that he possessed all of the ingredients to create cupcakes, neither he or Harry were baking sort of people. It occurred to him that it must have been bits and bobs left over from when his mother lived with him, not that he could remember a time he had seen her getting her hands dirty. 

“Afterwards?”

“Yeah, you can some after” 

Dee Dee started to spoon the mixture into the cases, but the mess she was making was proving too much for James and he found himself taking over. Quickly, he spooned the mixture into the cases whilst Dee Dee sat on the surface amongst the mess of the flour and other ingredients. 

“What are you doing?” he asked through a yawn, he didn’t think he had ever been this tired before at 8.30, but just a mere few hours with Dee Dee and he was drained. She was sat there kicking her legs against the cupboards, which was ever so slightly irritating him, tracing her fingers in the mess. 

“Look” she pointed with a big smile at her work, amongst the flour coated surfaces she had managed to write their names. “And I did a smiley face” she beamed, it was clear she was very proud of her work. 

“That’s very sweet” he smiled. 

“I have boy in my class called James so spelling your name was easy” she smiled. “It only has five letters” she told him as she held up her hand showing five.

“You’re very clever aren’t you” he told her as he picked her up from the surface and placed her back down on her little stool. “You going to help me tidy up?” he asked giving her a gentle nudge.

“Maybe, but if it’s boring I’ll stop” 

***

“She’s finally asleep” James whispered with grin, conscious of waking up the little girl that was now draped across his lap. During the past fifteen minutes, Ant had taken himself off to bed when Harry asked, but Dee Dee had kicked up quite the fuss insisting that she wanted to spend more time with James. 

“Yes” Harry whispered excitedly, dramatically punching air. 

“This one, she’s such a live wire, I didn’t actually think she would sleep” James laughed as Harry sat down on the sofa next to him, being careful not to throw himself down and wake up Dee Dee. 

“Thank you for today” Harry kissed his lips, after the day at work James had had and the manic evening with the kids, it was exactly what he needed. They had to pull themselves away when Dee Dee stirred and they became aware of the child in the room. 

“I’m so exhausted” James threw his head back against the sofa and momentarily closed his eyes, whilst stroking Dee Dee’s hair.

“Well it’s all good practise” Harry announced shuffling on the sofa to get himself comfortable.

“Practise for what?” James asked.

“When we have our own” 

James’ eyes quickly pinged open, he was definitely, well and truly awake now.

“Our own” he almost choked on the words as he said them. They’d never had this conversation before but James just assumed that Harry knew where he stood on the matter. 

“Yeah, you know, our own kids” Harry explained slowly as if James was being stupid.

“Harry, I don’t want kids. I never have” he told him softly, he felt guilty that he was almost shattering some sort of dream he had. 

“Really?” The look on Harrys face broke James’ heart a little. Their relationship was just starting to become good again, nothing was standing in their way anymore, except this. This could really make or break a relationship. 

“Yeah. I thought you knew” 

“So you’re telling me you don’t want this” he asked, gesturing to Dee Dee who was now lying peacefully asleep on his knee, it hadn’t gone unnoticed to Harry how content James looked. James nodded his head. “What? Ever?” 

“Yeah”

“Why?” Harry questioned. “Because you’re scared” he didn’t let James answer, he just jumped straight to the conclusion he had put together in his head.

“I don’t want to talk about it” 

“I want to talk about it. This is important to me James” Harry argued. He wasn’t just going to shut down this conversation because it was something James wasn’t comfortable with. 

“Look I didn’t know it meant so much to you” James was getting frustrated, yet he was trying his hardest to keep it contained. “Can you really see me as a father, dirty nappies and sleepless nights” he asked. 

“No, but does anyone see themselves like that” he reached forward and placed his hand on James knee. “What I do see though is this, family meals, baking sessions, cute little cuddles with a movie playing in the background” he referenced the evening that they had just had. “I’m not saying I want a baby tomorrow but I’d like it be an option” he reasoned. If they weren’t on the same page with this he wasn’t sure there was much room for progression. 

“It’s never the way I saw my life going” he was softening a little, Harry was sure of it. 

“I know you’re scared by the whole thing but you could do it. If you really wanted to, you could” Harry’s words were sweet and it was nice for James to know that someone believed in him. There had always been a part of James that wanted a family but over the years he had pushed it further and further down so it simply became something that was never of any importance. He never thought it would happen, he never thought he would find anyone for it to happen with. “You’ve been amazing tonight and this one” he smiled gently placing his hand on Dee Dee’s back. “She absolutely adores you” Harry emphasised every word, he really wanted James to understand that this could all be possible.

“I guess she is pretty sweet” James admitted. 

“Just imagine a little mini us running around causing havoc” the smile on James’ face didn’t go unnoticed by Harry, he’d very maybe, finally, been able to win him round. “Do you see it?” Harry asked hopefully.

“Maybe” James shrugged. “One day.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading.  
> If you would like your own prompt filled, please leave a request in the comments.


End file.
